Fishing at Lac de la Victoire, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Victoire is one of the Capitale-Nationale waters in Quebec. Around the bank it is taiga. It covers about 4 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Laurentides, 21 km off. Further out sit Saint-Raymond (31 km) and Fossambault-sur-le-Lac (42 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Victoire

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Capitale-Nationale include lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker, sauger and channel catfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Lac de la Victoire the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -15°C in January. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. At Lac de la Victoire the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Walter, 0.7 km away. Check the current arrangement for Lac de la Victoire.